Taking place on the 3-5 September, CDAO Melbourne is a unique event experience connecting Data Analytics executives like you to the people, technology and ideas that can accelerate your own transformation journey.

Whether your data and analytics challenges are in data governance, artificial intelligence, leadership and culture, recruitment of the right skilled people or being able to demonstrate value across the business, we are sure there are others sharing your exact struggle.

Through our immersive and interactive format you will discover how other organisations are tackling the high-priority challenges facing data executives today including Governance, Privacy, Culture, Talent and the effective application of AI, Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics.

What’s New for 2018?

Largest ever speaker panel featuring 70+ leading minds in data and analytics

Start-up pitch session featuring the latest tech ideas an innovations

VIP Think tank closed door conversations

Even more interactive networking including speed networking; champagne round tables; live poll analysis; discussion groups; private lunches and more

‘Off the record’ sessions with our top international speakers.

Live onstage debate from two opposing sides on the impact of automation

Fireside chats with expert speakers moderated by a high profile tech journalist

Meet the speaker informal roundtables

Data Governance & Privacy focus day back by popular demand

We caught up with Gabrielle Shone, Head of Customer Decisioning Strategy and Data, AGL to give us a few tips on how organisations are dealing with Women & Diversity in Data.

How do organisations overcome the algorithmic bias created by an all-white, male team?

It seems like a simple answer, encouraging a diverse workforce but it is easier said than done.

Coming from such a low base – numbers of analysts/ data scientists are typically only 25 – 30% women – we’ve a long way to go.

So the answer needs to be two-fold; close the diversity gap while remaining vigilant about inherent bias that exists when only a small slice of the population is represented in the people choosing feature sets and training data.

Analysing the traditional barriers to entry – are these beginning to change? Why aren’t more diverse groups applying?

We have certainly found at AGL, that there is a lot that can be done to encourage more women to apply to roles in the data science/ analyst spaces.

Things as simple as the language used to describe the eligibility criteria; women tend to count themselves out if they haven’t mastered each item on the list so using phrases like “degree or similar experience” can break down barriers.

I recently saw some research conducted by Harvard that said women with 8 years of programming experience are as confident as men with 1 year of experience.

Encouraging part-time or job share applicants is another way to encourage more women to apply.

This is particularly important for more senior roles in data, when women with significant experience are often out of the running because they need to work part time due to family commitments.

What are the best ways to encourage more diverse talent beyond just recruitment phase?

There are 3 things that I think are key to encouraging women to continue in data roles; sponsorship, flexible working conditions and organisational values.

Sponsorship goes beyond the generosity of time often given in a mentoring relationship and can be invaluable in getting your name thrown into the ring at the highest levels.

I recently heard Dr Marianne Cooper, lead researcher for Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, speak about this and about how different this idea is to mentoring.

There is nothing more powerful than having a person use their political capital to support a woman in the corporate world.

Practically, though, flexible working conditions can go a long way to encouraging sustained employment for women.

Combined with this, organisational values that embed a culture of inclusion, diversity of not only gender but sexuality, religion, race, physical capacity and importantly, thought is able to thrive.

Gabrielle joins Florence La Carbona, Senior Manager - Wealth Analytics and Insights, BT Financial on Day to cover this topic in more detail during their discussion group.

See what else is in store with the expert speaker line up at the Chief Data & Analytics Office Melbourne Conference, being held from September 3 to 5, 2018.

NEW OFFER - ITWIRE LAUNCHES PROMOTIONAL NEWS & CONTENT

Recently iTWire remodelled and relaunched how we approach "Sponsored Content" and this is now referred to as "Promotional News and Content”.

This repositioning of our promotional stories has come about due to customer focus groups and their feedback from PR firms, bloggers and advertising firms.

Your Promotional story will be prominently displayed on the Home Page.

We will also provide you with a second post that will be displayed on every page on the right hand side for at least 6 weeks and also it will appear for 4 weeks in the newsletter every day that goes to 75,000 readers twice daily.